The present invention is directed to an electrically excited stripline laser of the type having two waveguide surfaces, two resonator mirrors and at least two discharge electrodes, the electrodes being positioned opposite one another with reference to a beam direction. Waveguiding surfaces extend up to the resonator mirrors and are composed of electrically non-conductive and of metallic subsurfaces. Such a laser is disclosed by German Published Application 37 29 053. In this reference a waveguide of insulating material has its outside coated with electrodes. Additional metal layers for improving the waveguiding capability can be arranged in the discharge gap. These layers can be divided into areas between which are located metal-free, electrically insulating strips.